Roseville, Calif. – On Tuesday, Roseville Police detectives arrested a local man suspected of robbing a bank in early December, thanks to forensic evidence collected at the robbery scene by an RPD crime scene technician.
At about noon December 3, Umpqua Bank on Douglas Boulevard was robbed by a tall, heavyset man wearing an obviously fake beard. The robber gave the clerk a note demanding money, took cash and left without further incident. Officers were on scene within minutes, searched the area and interviewed witnesses. An RPD crime scene technician responded to examine the robbery scene.
The CSI tech located forensic evidence, which was submitted to the California Department of Justice’s crime lab. Detectives didn’t have much to go on initially–no one saw a getaway car, and no one recognized the suspect from surveillance photos. In January, the state crime lab identified a potential suspect from the evidence that was submitted.
Detectives investigated further, and on Tuesday, January 19, they arrested David James Lira, age 39 of Roseville, on suspicion of robbery. At the time of the arrest, detectives obtained new information linking the suspect to other northern California bank robberies. The new information was turned over to the FBI for follow-up.
Like all successful investigations, this was a team effort, from the dispatchers who took the first call, the quick response by patrol, and thorough follow-up by detectives, crime scene technicians and the state crime lab staff.
